Error when splitting dataframe with a function and calling the dataframe individually in python

Question

I have a dataframe:

df = pd.DataFrame([1,2,3,4,5,6])

I have created a function which takes dataframe and % split as input and creates two new dataframes based on inputs

def splitdf(df,split=0.5):

    a = df.iloc[:int(len(df)]*split)]
    b = df.iloc[int((1-split)*len(df)):]

Now, when I run this function and call "a"

splitdf(df)
display(a)

I get the error: name 'a' is not defined

It should not print anything but when called should give two dataframes a and b — Ravan, May 15 '20 at 05:35
in your function write return a,b and when calling function a,b = splitdf(df) — qaiser, May 15 '20 at 05:38
Any way where inside this function only I can split the "a" and "b" df and can call it individually anywhere by just a and b? — Ravan, May 15 '20 at 05:51
If a and b are local to the function.,they cannot be accessed outside the function. They are basically no longer available after function's scope is exited — Imanpal Singh, May 15 '20 at 06:04

score 0 · Accepted Answer · answered May 15 '20 at 06:10

a and b are local to splitdf, so you have to return them.

def splitdf(df,split=0.5):
    a = df.iloc[:int(len(df)]*split)]
    b = df.iloc[int((1-split)*len(df)):]
    return a, b

Then when you call splitdf, assign the return values to some variable(s):

df_a, df_b = splitdf(df)

You are currently just defining a and b within splitdf, and then they stop existing when the function exits because they've gone out of scope.

1 Answers1